About the Food Bank

Food Bank For New York City recognizes 25 years as the city's major hunger-relief organization. Working to end food poverty and increase access to affordable, nutritious food for low-income New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs, the Food Bank's initiatives focus on direct services, food sourcing and distribution, education and nutrition, financial empowerment, disaster relief and policy and research.

There are more than three million New Yorkers who have difficulty affording food — an astounding number and one that continues to increase as the donated food supply drops to an all-time low and energy and fuel costs skyrocket. To address this issue, the Food Bank procures and distributes food to a network of more than 1,000 food assistance programs citywide. In addition, we provide food safety and capacity-building workshops; manage school nutrition education programs, after-school and emergency food programs; conduct food stamp prescreening and outreach; operate a senior food program, soup kitchen and food pantry; coordinate the largest Free Tax Assistance Program in the country; and develop policy and conduct research to inform community and government efforts to end food poverty throughout New York City.

As an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, the Food Bank meets the Better Business Bureau's charity standards. We recently received our fourth, consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator for effective and fiscally responsible management of our organization. Only 6 percent of charities rated have received at least four consecutive four-star evaluations, demonstrating our continued commitment to responsibly addressing the issue of food poverty. For every dollar donated to the Food Bank, 96 cents goes toward food acquisition, distribution and programs. The Food Bank is a certified member of both Feeding America and the Food Bank Association of New York State.

Learn more:

25 Years of the Food Bank Our History Awards & Honors